Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes

1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4 ESV)

I am sure when our Lord told His disciples on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 5:14-16), “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven…” that there were some who were getting the idea that the way of our Lord was some form of works righteousness that was at a higher, but better level than that of the Scribes and Pharisees who were all about legalism. Some today still have that idea. However, He followed that statement with this one in vv 17-20, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” So, what was our Lord teaching here? He wasn’t teaching us to follow legalism, that is, that our righteousness is somehow obtained by a strict adherence to the Law of Moses was He? Paul was very clear in the book of Galatians that no one ever obtained the righteousness of God that way.

The key to understanding this passage is found in v20, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Here is my personal translation, “I say for you, unless your righteousness might exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never come into the kingdom of heaven.”

The Law was completely fulfilled in Christ. His perfect obedience was the perfect Righteousness that God sees when He imputes it to all whom He justifies. The word “righteousness” in this passage translates the word δικαιοσύνη or dikaiosunē, which can mean “righteousness, innocence, justice, justification.” It is not inappropriate to say that the Apostle Paul, in his letters, attempts to answer the question Job asks in Job 9:2: “But how can a mortal be righteous with God?” The main passage in Paul that discusses this question and this word is Romans 3.

While it is not stated as frequently as in the Old Testament, the New Testament affirms the righteous and sinless character of God. In Romans 3:5, Paul affirms “God’s righteousness.”

5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) (Romans 3:5 ESV)

Human beings were created in the image of God, which means in part the ability to live righteous, sinless lives (Ephesians 4:24). But Adam sinned in the Garden, and through the sin of that one man, all their descendants “were made sinners” (Romans 5:19). As a result, we are unrighteous and deserve condemnation and death (5:16-18; 6:23).

How can we then get right with God? How can our Righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees? God has revealed a way: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). In other words, Jesus, the Righteous One, lived a sinless life and died an atoning death. He now offers His “righteousness” to us by faith, so that we can be “declared righteous” before His throne. This process of justification by faith goes all the way to Abraham, who “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3, 5, 9; Galatians 3:6). All those, then who believe in Jesus are credited with righteousness and have Abraham as their father (4:11-12). Keeping the Law plays no role in being counted as righteous in His sight (Romans 10:1-10; Galatians 3:21; Philippians 3:9); rather, God’s grace is at work.

On the other hand, it does not mean that obedience to God’s Law has no role to play in the life of the believer. Those who have been justified by faith have been set free from sin and thus must offer themselves to God “as instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:11-14). We find God’s will for us described in the inspired Scriptures through which we receive “training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is impossible for those who have been born of God not to do what is right (1 John 3:7-10). Our Lord said that those who belong to Him “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).

There is also a future aspect to righteousness when God does judge the world by His standard of righteousness (Acts 17:31). On that day of days, we “will reap a harvest of righteousness and peace” (Hebrews 12:11) and thus become fully righteous; this is our Christian hope (Galatians 5:5).

Righteousness, like salvation, is a gift that we receive from God when we believe. It is a present reality in our lives, and is a future hope toward which we aspire. Does your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and the Pharisees?

I was recently told by a believer that our Lord Jesus fellowshiped with sinners.
When I read Matthew 28:19/20
I understood that as ,our Lord Jesus ministered to all ;the Word of God,as we are to do,He fellowshiped with few
As Paul told us 2Corinthians 6:14/18
What is your understanding ?
Bless Yahweh

Karen, unlike us, Jesus knew who the elect were/are. He would take the message of the Kingdom to everyone, especially to those who would believe. That included eating and drinking with tax-collectors and other sinners. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day would not do that. That would make them “unclean” in their religion. However, Jesus knew that their religion was not God-given, but man-made. We are still to take the Good news to everyone. That does not mean partaking in the same sins they do. It does not mean saying their sins are just fine with God. We still teach and preach repentance.

Therefore, I urge you brothers through the compassions of God to present your bodies as living, holy sacrifices, well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service. And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may discern the will of God, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. (Colossians 1:24-26 ESV)

The way of escape

"To believe that He will preserve us is, indeed, a means of preservation. God will certainly preserve us, and make a way of escape for us out of the temptation, should we fall. We are to pray for what God has already promised. Our requests are to be regulated by His promises and commands. Faith embraces the promises and so finds relief." - John Owen

How to be free from bondage to our flesh and temptation

"If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation. Let this be one aspect of our daily intercession: 'God, preserve my soul, and keep my heart and all its ways so that I will not be entangled.' When this is true in our lives, a passing temptation will not overcome us. We will remain free while others lie in bondage." - John Owen

Meta

About me

My name is Mike Ratliff. I am a δοῦλος (slave) of the Κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν Χριστόν (Lord Jesus Christ.) I have been a Bible teacher since the late 1980's. I am currently learning Koine Greek, which I began in 1992 and will continue to do so until the Lord takes me home. I am Reformed in my theology because I recognize that God is Sovereign over all things. I write these posts as God directs. I am also part of the discernment team at Christian Research Network.

OTHERS MAY, YOU CANNOT

by G. D. Watson

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.

God will take you at your word. If you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.